25 reasons to rapid prototype the next version of your app

In my experience, rapid prototyping an app (in Keynote) is at least 100X faster than actually building that app, and at least 10X faster than prototyping in code. Besides the obvious economic benefits, here are 25 reasons to rapid prototype the next version of your app.

Use an app prototype to:

Get started now, without a big team or budget

Perform market research with potential buyers.

Sell the app to customers before building it.

Convince investors to invest in the future of your company.

Convince early employees to join your company.

Create screenshots of a product that doesn’t yet exist.

Generate a product video for a product that doesn’t yet exist.

See if your idea actually makes sense.

File patents for your idea earlier and easier.

Make an abstract idea more concrete so others can understand.

Convince board members to approve funding of a new endeavour.

Lower others' perceived risk of pursuing your concept.

Sell a product customization to a customer before building it.

Provide a focal point for gathering design feedback.

Easily experiment with multiple solutions to the same problem.

Identify new requirements for the app.

Provide a starting point for a user interface designer.

Uncover problems with an app before building it.

Iterate on an idea without wasting development time.

Resolve conflicts between engineers early in the process.

Help a development partner make an accurate cost estimate.

Uncover potential technical limitations of your intended design.

Help developers visualize an aspect of the app they are building.

Create a specification for developers to code.

Perform usability testing on customers.

My app prototyping engagements start at around $5000. Whether you're a founder, executive or product manager, let's explore how we can build you a prototype that will help you attract investors, build consensus, or win early customers. Contact me.